Yagura was in the Kamui Dimension, lying there with his eyes tightly shut and trying to pass the time by doing nothing.
In this lightless space, Yagura couldn't tell day from night. Every second spent there was torture. After being trapped for several days, he felt like he was about to go mad.
But just then, an enticing aroma suddenly wafted into Yagura's nose.
Yagura, who had been resting with his eyes closed, instantly perked up. As if he'd been injected with a jolt of energy, he suddenly sat up and quickly looked around.
The first thing he saw was a picturesque courtyard. Then he spotted Shi Xiu, Minato, and the others.
When his gaze landed on Minato, Yagura reacted as if he'd been struck by lightning. His eyes widened in shock.
Yagura stared at Minato in disbelief, his mouth agape. After a long moment, he stammered, "The... the Yellow Flash! You... weren't you already dead?"
During his time trapped in the Kamui Dimension, Yagura had asked Isobu about the events that had taken place in the outside world while he was being controlled.
Isobu had told Yagura what he'd heard, including the rumor that the Fourth Hokage of Konoha, the Yellow Flash, had died in action.
Minato was also watching Yagura. He asked softly, "Are you the Fourth Mizukage?"
Yagura was taken aback by Minato's question, then slowly nodded.
After his initial shock, he quickly realized that he was now at the mercy of his hosts. He forced down his many questions and refrained from asking them rashly.
Shi Xiu waved to Yagura and called, "Yagura, come have hot pot with us!"
Yagura paused at the invitation. He looked at Shi Xiu, then quickly turned to Minato beside him. His gaze shifted back and forth between the two, as if he couldn't make up his mind.
But the enticing hot pot aroma wafting toward him seemed to have an irresistible magic. In the end, Yagura set aside his misgivings.
Yagura walked slowly toward the wooden table with the copper pot on it.
A steaming Mandarin Duck Pot sat in the center of the courtyard on the wooden table.
The charcoal fire burned brightly beneath it, keeping the broth at a constant boil and filling the air with an irresistible fragrance.
All around the pot were colorful ingredients: fresh, vividly green vegetables and tender slices of meat, pink with clearly defined marbling.
The aromas from the ingredients mingled and spread throughout the courtyard, making everyone's mouth water and eager to dig in.
At last, Yagura reached the table and carefully accepted the bowl and chopsticks Shi Xiu handed him.
The others seated nearby could no longer contain their excitement. They hurriedly picked up slices of tender meat with their chopsticks and dropped them into the boiling pot.
Before long, they were deftly fishing out the cooked meat and chewing happily, their faces alight with satisfaction.
Seeing how much everyone was enjoying the meal, Yagura couldn't help but get caught up in it.
Following their example, he picked up his chopsticks, grasped a tempting-looking slice of meat, and slowly lowered it into the boiling pot.
Yagura watched the slice bob in the pot, waiting patiently for it to cook.
After a little while, Yagura figured it was probably done. He lifted his chopsticks again, fished the cooked slice out of the pot, blew on it a few times, then popped it into his mouth without hesitation.
The moment Yagura put the meat in his mouth, a fierce wave of spice shot straight to his head like a bolt of lightning.
Caught off guard, Yagura felt as if his entire mouth had caught fire.
The burning pain made him open his mouth involuntarily. He panted, "Sss—hah, sss—hah," fanning himself frantically in an attempt to ease the heat.
Choking on the sudden wave of spice, Yagura's face turned bright red. He hurriedly bent down, his eyes darting around as he searched for water to cool his mouth.
Seeing this, Shi Xiu couldn't help laughing. He rose slowly, went to the table, picked up the water pitcher, and filled a cup for Yagura before handing it to him.
"Here, have some water to calm down. This side is the spicy broth, so it's pretty strong. The other side is the Tomato Hot Pot, which is much milder. If you can't handle the spice, try that one instead," Shi Xiu kindly advised.
Yagura nodded gratefully, took the cup, and gulped down the water, trying to wash the burning sensation from his throat.
But even after drinking quite a bit, the powerful spice seemed to stubbornly cling to his mouth, and he couldn't recover right away.
It took a while before Yagura finally felt a little better and could pick up his chopsticks again.
Just then, Minato, who had been sitting quietly nearby, happened to glance toward the unremarkable box in the corner.
Minato lifted his head slightly, pointed at the box, and asked Shi Xiu with a puzzled expression, "Lord Shi Xiu, what's inside that box over there?"
Shi Xiu, who had been engrossed in his meal, slowly looked up at Minato's question. He glanced casually in the direction Minato was pointing, then answered nonchalantly.
"Oh, there's nothing special in there, just some hot pot seasoning and a few bottles of alcohol." After replying, Shi Xiu lowered his head and went back to focusing on the food in front of him.
Minato nodded thoughtfully, indicating that he understood what was in the box.
In truth, Minato had little interest in drinking.
So he stopped thinking about the box and its contents, and quickly turned his attention back to the steaming, fragrant hot pot in front of him.
When Nara Luling heard there was alcohol, an audacious idea flared to life in her mind like a wildfire.
Once the thought took hold, it spread like rapidly growing spring grass, gathering momentum until Nara Luling could no longer suppress it.
Nara Luling narrowed her eyes slightly and pretended to be casual as she made her suggestion to Shi Xiu, though she was secretly up to something.
"Lord Shi Xiu, things are so lively right now. How about we have a drink together to make it even more festive?" As she spoke, Nara Luling glanced at Shi Xiu, who was sitting nearby.
But how could Shi Xiu fail to see through Nara Luling's little scheme? He slowly raised his head and looked at her, his eyes revealing the wisdom of someone who saw right through everything.
Facing Nara Luling's suggestion, Shi Xiu rejected it without hesitation. "Drinking alcohol while eating hot pot is bad for your health. So don't even think about it."
Nara Luling had never imagined Shi Xiu would reject her suggestion so bluntly.
She couldn't help feeling a little dejected, her lips unconsciously pouting.